The most beautiful places in the world?

Can you list 5 places you think are the most beautiful in the world

for photography? From number 1 to number 5.

Let's share our view.

Just one from me - Urdokas on the Baltoro Glacier, looking at the Trango Towers under a full moon. Sorry for the crappy scanning - I'm not a digital guy.

As I have not seen much nature beyond North America I'd simply list my only location, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.

My favorite place is Antarctica.<div></div>

There are countless; I wouldn't even know where to begin. I will say that if you have a macro lens, you can start with your backyard.

Of the places I've actually seen with my own eyes:

 

1. Masai Mara/Serengeti (Kenya/Tanzania)

 

2. Zion National Park (USA)

 

3. Cape Town/Cape Point (South Africa)

 

After that we get into stuff that I either don't remember very well because it was a long time ago, or isn't nature photography (i.e. urban). We'll see where Costa Rica comes in that list in just under a month. ;)

Not necessarily in order (they are different so ranking is somewhat subjective) and again, only places I've been or recall well enough to include.

 

1. California coast from just south of Morro Bay (Montana de Oro) to Monterey - this would include "Big Sur," Point Lobos, etc. Included because of it's diversity of features, besides land and oceanscapes, you have very diverse plant and animal life.

 

2. Yosemite, especially the valley. There are other high mountain areas but nothing I've seen compares to the valley.

 

3. Grand Tetons (speaking of other mountain areas). I'll lump Yellowstone in here.

 

4. Oregon. Again, wonderfully diverse, from Crater Lake and the Cascade volcanoes, to the Columbia River Gorge, even the high desert plateaus and canyons.

 

5. The desert southwest (running out of spaces before I run out of places: Again, highly diverse, Zion, Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon, how do you choose?

 

Honorable mentions: Hong Kong from the top of the Peak Tram at sunset. San Francisco.

This threat threatens to turn into a brag parade for exotic locations we've all been to. With that in mind, here's mine.

 

1. New Zealand. Every time I visit it surprises me with another angle on its beauty. And the air is relatively haze free, which makes landscapes a joy.

 

2. Madagascar. It's got everything: landscapes, people, wildlife.

 

3. New York. Because I hate shooting in cities. New York makes it easy.

 

Three's enough, I'd have a hard time picking another two standouts from among the many gorgeous places I've been lucky to go.<div></div>

The Himalayas.

 

A personal man-made favourite though, the ruins of the 2000 years old university of Nalanda in northern India. Yes, somehow I find the burnt red brick ruins stunningly beautiful. Maybe back then nature did not stand in such stark opposition to 'culture'.

 

-A

Just for fun, my most beautiful places to explore underwater, in

no particular order:

1) British Columbia (damn cold, but awesome marine life)

2) Channel Islands of California (nothing quite like kelp forests

on a sunny day)

3) Fiji (coral reefs and lovely islands--what's not to like?)

4) Grand Bahama Bank (wild friendly dolphins)

5) Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand (haven't been there yet,

but top on my list of places left to go)

 

Oh, and about 10 other places that would be only slightly less

amazing... :>)

Three men were on their way to heaven, but first had to talk to Saint Peter before entering the pearly gates.

 

Peter asked the first man where he was from, and the man replied "New York". Peter remarked "you will love it here, go on and enter into the kingdom of heaven".

 

The second man approached Peter, and Peter asked him where he was from. The second man responded "I'm from Berlin". Peter again remarked "you will love it here, go on and enter into the kingdom of heaven".

 

The third man approached Peter, and Peter asked him where he was from. This third man answered "I'm from Jasper". Peter explained "oh dear, I'm afraid you will be somewhat disappointed".

 

This isn't an exact re-wording of the original joke. But it was made by Sir Arther Conan Doyle sometime in the 1920's I believe. :)

The question assumes that some reader out there has actually seen ALL the beautiful spots in the world to make the comparison.

 

It further assumes that you can somehow rate the comparative beauty of different kinds of things. Are trees prettier than rocks? Are tulips prettier than rainbows?

 

It further assumes that the beauty one saw at a place is the way it is all the time. But photographing rainbows or sunsets or tropical fish involves scenes that vary tremendously in their beauty in just a few minutes of time.

 

In short, the question doesn't have a lot of meaning.

How about this one? From Pbase.com by Kenneth So.

Somewhere nice by Kenneth So from Pbase.<div></div>

Min only asked for what we think are the most beautiful places, so just state your opinion.

 

One place I'll list, in agreement with another poster, is Big Sur, California.

looking at my vacation plans for the year, I'm hoping Acadia NP in June is on the list...

Having emigrated to New Zealand 8 years ago I will have to have it in my top five. However I still dream of Snowdonia (North Wales) and the Isle of Skye (Scotland).<div></div>

Norway and Iceland come to mind. Hard to choose anything specific within really.

Skeleton Gulch, I think it's called, and the Lion Lakes, when the flowers were blooming. The top of Mt. Lady Washington when the snow was avalanching off Longs Peak. And the top of Mt. Richtoven when the clouds were blowing in. And the first view through the Keyhole. And the Taco Bell drive-through window after about 12 hours of hiking. Rocky Mountain National Park area, FYI.

There are no ugly places in this world. Only not enough vodka.

Too many to list, but my two favorite areas are the South Island of New Zealand, and the Canadian Rockies. <a href="http://www.whitemountainphoto.com/400jpg_pages/newzealand_400/166_400_lake_tekapo.html">www.whitemountainphoto.com/400jpg_pages/newzealand_400/166_400_lake_tekapo.html</a>

Dana/<a href="http://www.whitemountainphoto.com">www.whitemountainphoto.com</a>

The next 5 places I am going to - that is why I am going !

Ruby Mts. NE Nevada, Western China, East side of the Sierra Nevada Range, New Zealand.

<center><img src="http://sacredartichoke.com/coppermine/albums/12-14-2004/PC140022.jpg"><br>

<br><b>Juneau, Alaska</b></center>

When I was in elementary school, our happiest days were when our classroom would be assigned, as a substitute teacher, a dear old lady who was the daughter of a missionary and who had been to exotic places all around the world. She would bring in memorabilia, pictures, and amazing tales. I never wanted those school days to end.

 

She said: "The vale of Kashmir is the most beautiful place in the world." Though it was almost 50 years ago, I've never forgotten it. And I would bet she was right. It's one place I have to see.